Kali Majapahit in the Philippines
Guro Fred Evrard meeting the Filipino Council of Kali Eskrima Arnis Masters in Manila
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August 2007, someone enters the Kali Majapahit school of Singapore, asking to watch the Kali class. He's Filipino, descendent of an Igorot warrior family involved in FMA for several generations. Mike Bugnosen, that's his name, is from Baguio city, Philippines. He is staying in Singapore for a while and is looking for an Kali school to continue his practice. Already advanced in the Art, he has practiced few FMA styles before such as Doce Pares, Sports Arnis, etc.; He is a former sports Arnis champion. After few minutes of watching Guro Fred Evrard's class, he knows he just found his new instructor.
After a while, he unfortunately had to go back to Baguio. This was the beginning of a new adventure; the beginning of Kali Majapahit in the Philippines.
February 2008, Mike organizes a meeting between the Fullcon Council of Martial Arts Masters of Baguio and Guro Fred Evrard, to introduce Kali Majapahit in the Philippines, and to help promoting the practice of traditional FMA worldwise. Among them, Aikido 6 th Dan masters, Arnis instructors, Muay Thai professional fighters, etc.
After 3 hours of talk and demo, the Masters reaction is more than positive. They want Guro Fred to teach them and to come back for a seminar.
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Guro Fred teaching the Martial Arts Masters of Baguio |
That was the first step. Few months later, in May 2008, Guro Fred went back to the Philippines to meet the National Council of Kali Eskrima Arnis Master in Manila, and then went back to Baguio to give a seminar to the Martial Arts Masters and to several military and police officers.
It was a 12 hours seminar, divided in 7 parts:
• Double sticks
• Single stick
• Knife
• Kadena de Mano
• Silat Kuntao
• Traditional weapons (Kampilan, Barong, Kris, Karambit and Sarong)
• Panlohob na Lakas (energy work)
Saturday's seminar |
The seminar was a success. Guro Fred was interviewed by the national TV and Kali Majapahit students were on the news the same evening. After that, a Kali Majapahit group opened in Baguio, with Kadua Guro Mike Bugnosen teaching. Guro Fred has been invited to come back to Baguio in March 2009, for an even bigger seminar, plus a conference on the Filipino healing system of Hilot and a talk on Traditional Filipino weapons.
To watch the videos of the Kali Majapahit Philippines seminar, click here:
http://www.kali-majapahit.com/gallery.htm
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